Biomarkers provide essential insights for navigating clinical trials.
We are here to help you understand your biomarkers clearly, guiding you directly to relevant clinical trials by empowering your decisions.
BIOMARKERS 101
Biomarker is a biological molecule—like a protein or piece of DNA—found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues. It serves as a signal or clue to what’s happening inside the body. Biomarkers can show whether the body is working normally, if there’s a disease (like cancer), or how the body is responding to a treatment or exposure. Physicians increasingly rely on biomarkers to predict which treatments will be most effective for individual patients, as biomarkers can provide information about the specific genetic makeup and characteristics of a tumor.
Diagnosis Biomarkers:
Diagnosis & Early Detection: Biomarkers can detect cancer early, sometimes even before symptoms appear, leading to more effective treatments.
Prognosis & Risk Assessment: Biomarkers help estimate the likelihood of cancer recurrence and survival rates.
Treatment Selection (Targeted Therapy & Immunotherapy): Biomarkers determine the most suitable treatment options, including targeted therapies and immunotherapies tailored to individual patient profiles.
Monitoring biomarkers:
Monitoring Treatment Response: Biomarkers help in monitoring how well the treatment works, detecting resistance early, and adjusting the treatment plan accordingly.
Susceptibility/Risk Biomarkers: Indicate increased risk of developing cancer. Eg. BRCA1/2 mutations for breast and ovarian cancer risk
Diagnostic Biomarkers: Used to confirm the presence of a disease. Eg. PSA for prostate cancer
Prognostic Biomarkers: Provide information about how a disease may develop or progress over the time (Recurrence or progression). Eg. Ki67 as a prognostic biomarker in breast cancer
Monitoring Biomarkers: Measured repeatedly to track the status of a disease or treatment over time.
Predictive Biomarkers: Help predict whether a patient will respond to a particular treatment.EG. HER2 protein expression on breast cancer can help to predict response to targeted therapies.
Pharmacodynamic/Response Biomarkers: Indicate a biological response to a treatment or intervention.
Safety Biomarkers: Signal potential harm or toxicity from a drug or exposure. Eg. ALT/AST rising as a sign of liver damage during treatment.
Want to see if a cancer clinical trial is right for you?
Our expert team will review your medical history and share a personalized report with trial options tailored to your condition.
Biomarker testing involves taking a sample from tumor tissue or bodily fluids (biopsy or liquid biopsy). Advanced testing techniques, such as Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), immunohistochemistry, FISH analysis, and comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP), are employed to identify the presence of specific biomarkers. These tests reveal actionable genetic mut
What is a Biomarker?
Biomarker is a biological molecule—like a protein or piece of DNA—found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues. It serves as a signal or clue to what’s happening inside the body. Biomarkers can show whether the body is working normally, if there’s a disease (like cancer), or how the body is responding to a treatment or exposure. Physicians increasingly rely on biomarkers to predict which treatments will be most effective for individual patients, as biomarkers can provide information about the specific genetic makeup and characteristics of a tumor.
Why Biomarkers Are Important?
Diagnosis Biomarkers:
Diagnosis & Early Detection: Biomarkers can detect cancer early, sometimes even before symptoms appear, leading to more effective treatments.
Prognosis & Risk Assessment: Biomarkers help estimate the likelihood of cancer recurrence and survival rates.
Treatment Selection (Targeted Therapy & Immunotherapy): Biomarkers determine the most suitable treatment options, including targeted therapies and immunotherapies tailored to individual patient profiles.
Monitoring biomarkers:
Monitoring Treatment Response: Biomarkers help in monitoring how well the treatment works, detecting resistance early, and adjusting the treatment plan accordingly.
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Types of Biomarkers
Susceptibility/Risk Biomarkers: Indicate increased risk of developing cancer. Eg. BRCA1/2 mutations for breast and ovarian cancer risk
Diagnostic Biomarkers: Used to confirm the presence of a disease. Eg. PSA for prostate cancer
Prognostic Biomarkers: Provide information about how a disease may develop or progress over the time (Recurrence or progression). Eg. Ki67 as a prognostic biomarker in breast cancer
Monitoring Biomarkers: Measured repeatedly to track the status of a disease or treatment over time.
Predictive Biomarkers: Help predict whether a patient will respond to a particular treatment.EG. HER2 protein expression on breast cancer can help to predict response to targeted therapies.
Pharmacodynamic/Response Biomarkers: Indicate a biological response to a treatment or intervention.
Safety Biomarkers: Signal potential harm or toxicity from a drug or exposure. Eg. ALT/AST rising as a sign of liver damage during treatment.
How Biomarker Testing Works
Biomarker testing involves taking a sample from tumor tissue or bodily fluids (biopsy or liquid biopsy). Advanced testing techniques, such as Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), immunohistochemistry, FISH analysis, and comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP), are employed to identify the presence of specific biomarkers. These tests reveal actionable genetic mutations and protein expressions that guide treatment decisions
Want to see if a cancer clinical trial is right for you?
Our expert team will review your medical history and share a personalized report with trial options tailored to your condition.
Biomarkers in Action
ALK is a genetic change in the DNA of lung cells that causes the cells to grow abnormally and eventually become cancerous. Once cancer cells begin to grow in the lungs, they can potentially spread to other parts of the body and impair its function. In this article, you can find the connection between ALK and cancer.
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